Digital Wager Wire highlights the most significant events affecting the domestic and international sports betting and gaming industries each week throughout the year.
Golden Nugget Enters Ontario Mobile Market
DraftKings acquired the digital Golden Nugget casino in May 2022 to establish a well-known brand in the iGaming market.
The land-based Golden Nugget casinos remain with Landry’s, the iconic hospitality and entertainment company owned by Tilman Fertitta, but the online casino brand was purchased for what amounted to $450 million in DraftKings’ stock at the time.
Since that time, the Golden Nugget Casino brand has been active in four US states, including Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. But now the brand has expanded into the Great White North, where it will enter the Ontario market.
The virtual casino boasts over 2,000 slot titles and several variations of casino table games, and was the first iGaming company to offer remote live dealer gaming.
The Ontario iGaming market is improving each year, according to reports that reveal May 2025’s gross gaming revenue spiked 40% compared to last May and set a new monthly record of $338 million, breaking the previous record of $328 million.
NBA and Players Union Back Player Prop Limits
Although the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association did not call for an outright ban on player props, they did suggest betting limits should be implemented.
The league has asked sportsbooks nationwide to ban player props on players with two-way contracts and who may be more likely to conspire to manipulate gambling stats for money. A federal probe into unusual activity related to what could be player props has been initiated on several players, including Jontay Porter, who allegedly informed bettors of his injury status and exited at least one game claiming illness, causing those who bet on under his player prop stats to win their wagers.
“NBA players compete at the highest level with the utmost integrity and are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment, both online and in person,” an NBPA spokesperson said in a statement. “If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, then we support taking a closer look at them.”
The NBA is not alone, as the Cleveland Guardians suspended two pitchers suspected of similar offenses. The NCAA has also called on sportsbooks to eliminate college player props, citing harassment of the athletes who fail to meet expectations and those who could intentionally underperform for money.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country, with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity and competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed. The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets,” Baker said in a statement.
